Find Me
by The Fortunate Ones
Summary: Who hides behind the alias Winchester? Link sets out to find his mysterious pen pal but it's not easy when everyone's acting strange. Marth lies to him, Roy avoids him, Ike flatters him and Pit adores him. Even Zelda seems different. Why can't he remember what happened last year? Link/Pit/Ike/Marth/Roy yaoi!


Hello, everyone. We're _the Fortunate Ones_. This is our first story and it's a yaoi story or boys' love story mostly between** Link, Pit, Ike, Marth and Roy.** Since it's a mystery there's no clear pairing, only that Link gets it on with just about everyone on his quest to find the mysterious W. Young Link and Toon Link are the same thing, we just prefer to use Young Link.

As for setting, this story begins as Brawl with the exception of Roy being involved.

**IF BOYS' LOVE OFFENDS YOU, DON'T READ. **

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**FIND ME **

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_Dearest Link,_

_my heart skipped a beat as I read your letter. I'm so happy to have someone like you, lonely as I am. I await your letters with a child's enthusiasm each time. Days feel so long by myself yet when I write to you words flow with such ease and I write until sun sets beyond the horizon, time glides by when I think of you and all the things I want to tell you about me. You have that effect on me. I want to open my heart to you. Even though you're far away I feel your warmth as I read your words, I feel you're closer to me than anyone else. These people around me, they don't understand me as you do. To think you want to meet me...! I can hardly wait. I'm excited yet nervous. After all, you're the Hero of Time._

_In your last letter you wrote you loved me. I read it over and over and over again. It frightens me. How can you use the word love so easily? And how can you feel so strongly about something you haven't yet seen? It's beyond my understanding. Maybe your mind deceives you, Link. All you know about me are in these letters, my hand-writing is the only palpable proof to you that I exist. How can you exclaim your love so earnestly? I'm puzzled. I believe that's what makes us different._

_You should come to the tournament. We'll meet at the mansion. I'll let you find me, you will if your feelings are true. Only then I can be certain that you truly love me for me and not as a figment of your imagination. I'll be waiting for you._

_Yours, W._

Link sat rigidly on a chair by the window of his room in the Smash Mansion, reading the latest letter from his friend Winchester. He had arrived a few minutes ago, thrown his things on his bed and pulled the paper from his pocket to read it yet again. As his eyes had danced on the beautifully curved, carefully calligraphed letters his heart had began to flutter. His only reason to attend the tournament was there, existing only in ink so far. Winchester, his love, his destiny.

W, for short, was a a pen pal he had accidentally come into contact with a half a year ago. Link had returned to Kokiri forest to meet with old friends after the previous tournament and had been riding Epona through the thick forest when a pigeon had fallen from the sky in front of his horse. Upon examination its left wing had been broken. Apparently it had courageously struggled onwards until the pain had drained all of its strength and it had dropped from the sky like a rock. The elf had picked the bird up carefully when he had noticed a message attached to its leg. It had been a carrier pigeon! He had nurtured the bird back to health and written a message of his own on its other leg to be taken to whomever owned it.

_This is Link, who owns this bird? It broke a wing and ate all my Deku Nuts while recovering._

It had taken a few weeks until he had received a reply:

_Give the bird the Deku Nuts. It's for your own safety. -Winchester_

That had been the beginning of their friendship. The elf had felt an immediate connection to his new friend, he had come off as funny, intelligent, friendly. The small pigeon had carried their messages through miles and miles, being the only link between the two. Gradually one or two sentences had grown into letters and Link's stay in Kokiri forest had prolonged from weeks into months. He had even unknowingly developed a habit of waiting by the window, searching for that pigeon to return with a message from his dearest friend.

Winchester's text had become more and more heartfelt each letter. The connection between them had strengthened and deepened. Link had poured his heart out for him, shared his feelings, his thoughts with him and in return he had eagerly read his friend's letters and wrapped himself in the tender feelings they'd contained. Without a doubt he had fallen in love with dried ink and paper, calligraphy and words but behind those palpable things had existed a living, breathing being: Winchester. A wise, thoughtful, compassionate person. Despite having no image of him Link had still fallen in love with him, desperately and hopelessly as he always used to. He needed his words to breathe, his paper to hear, his ink to see. W hadn't been as head over heels for him. Instead he had presented him with a challenge: find me! That had been the only reason the elf had chosen to attend the tournament again. Something that had happened last year made his heart ache even though he couldn't quite remember what it had been.

"Link?" A familiar redhead popped his head through the door. "So you decided to attend too?"

"Roy!" Link turned around to see the general and put the letter casually into his pocket. He couldn't have mistaken him for anyone else, the general had deep blue eyes and hair as red as poppy. On his forehead he had a blue plate with golden engravings, it was tied with a blue string on a knot at the back. His hair color was, in fact, so unique that it was characteristic only to members of Pherae's royal family. Therefore it had gained the name royal red.

Link got up from the chair to hug his dear friend but upon seeing his intentions the general's eyes widened and he took a step back, obviously considering it a strange idea. Link hesitated for a moment, he couldn't remember whether or not the redhead had a fear of touching. He decided not to ask about it, it would only cause his stubborn and short-tempered friend to clamp up. When pestered about anything he usually exploded, using offense as the best defense. Roy spoke if he wanted to, otherwise there was no use trying to get him to talk.

"Am I glad to see a familiar face." The general said after a short awkward silence between them. He didn't look Link in the eye despite his words but smiled nevertheless.

"I just arrived a few minutes ago," Link said, pointing at his things that had been thrown on his bed. "I was about to come and meet everyone."

He had ridden day and night to arrive on time to the tournament after having received the letter from W. Only the thought of his love interest being in the same building with him was enough to make his heart beat faster.

"There are so many new smashers this year." The redhead said, dusting himself off as if he'd been in battle. He hadn't, he was still a little shaken and was trying to occupy his hands. He was wearing a blue silk tunic with white trousers and light, ornamented armor suitable for his stature. The two had become good friends during the previous tournament but Link couldn't help being bothered by the memory that seemed a little blurry.

"Is anyone of them called Winchester?" He pushed the thought out of his mind as he asked his red-haired friend.

"Winchester?" Roy frowned. "No, I don't think so. Why, is he someone you know?"

"He's..." Link began but fell silent. Suddenly it was awkward talking about it, he gently let his hand slide over the letter that was in his pocket as if it contained the essence of W. Roy couldn't possibly understand his profound feelings for someone he had never even met. He couldn't grasp what it was to have love between the minds, unaffected by appearance or upbringing or wealth. But it didn't matter. Link couldn't help smiling.

"He's... someone special." He said fondly. The general studied him, tilting his head. He was perplexed by the sudden revelation.

"Maybe he'll show up", the general said encouragingly, swallowing all the things he had wanted to say. "There are still smashers arriving until the opening ceremony tonight."

"So it's tonight then?" Link asked.

"Yes. They're balloting the first match tomorrow." Roy ascertained. Behind the redhead Link caught a glimpse of a brown-haired boy in the doorway, peeking in with round cerulean eyes. He had a golden wreath on his forehead and sticking out of his shoulder was something that greatly reminded the elf of a wing. It was a wing. Upon noticing that he had been seen, the boy squealed and ran off. Link and Roy exchanged gazes.

"That's Pit. He's your number one fan", The general said nonchalantly. "He's been asking for you for days."

"Is he shy?" Link asked, looking at the empty doorway.

"Apparently." Roy said. The general had arrived many days earlier to settle in properly. During that time he had met Pit as a vibrant, cheerful, energetic angel. He was always talking about Link in an admiring tone, going on about the Hero, the Triforce and Hyrule and the Master Sword he wielded. Roy could never have thought that faced with his idol the angel would resort to hiding. Behind him Pit peeked in again, freezing as his and Link's eyes met. His eyes widened and glistened with the tears of joy as he realized he was being in the company of the Hero of Time. Or half of him was, the other side was hidden from the doorway.

"Hello", Link waved to the young boy. We've all had crushes that make us act irrationally.

"H-h-hello!" Pit exclaimed nervously, biting his lower lip right after as if to stop himself from stuttering anymore. He blushed deep red and trembled visibly as if shaken by an unknown force.

_You're talking to Link!_ Pit's thought._ It's really him! _His heart began thumping in his chest, writhing against his ribcage like a caged animal. His body that was usually so graceful and agile became awkward and tense. His wings spread open as they stiffened in nervousness, revealing his entire wingspan. In front of the one person he wanted to look cool and collected for he broke down like porcelain and only managed to come across as awkward and anxious. _How embarrassing._

"I'm Link." The blonde continued, taking a few slow steps towards the door to see more than half his new friend. The general frowned but said nothing.

The angel studied Link carefully, he was even a little frightened yet his eyes were full of admiration and adoration. He trembled out of nervousness and exhilaration and the strange mix of all the feelings in between. _Face to face with my hero,_ he thought. _And I'm so nervous! _

"Are you an angel?" Link asked as one wing blocked the entire doorway. He had seen the panic gathering in his eyes and was trying to find a subject the other was comfortable talking about. Only to relax him. Roy watched the scene with no idea that Pit's actions only proved a desperate crush, he was oblivious to things like that.

"Y-y-yes!" Pit exclaimed nervously, turning even redder. The one wing covering the doorway even trembled a little, so tense he was. Link couldn't help feeling sorry for him, he was so cute when he timidly looked at his feet, then affectionately at him again.

Pit on the other hand, was not at peace. _He's so cool! I wish I could be like him! _He thought. _I still can't believe I'm talking to Link, the Hero of Time! But why must I be so nervous! He must think I'm so lame because I hide and stutter like this! I should just try to act cool! _He trembled out of nervousness and exhilaration and the strange mix of all the feelings in between.

"Your wing is beautiful, mind showing me the other one as well?" Link asked, forcing an end to his trail of thought.

"Ah! S-s-sure!" The angel exclaimed, trying quickly to enter the room but with his wings open wide he was too large to enter and upon hitting the doorframe looked embarrassed and hurt. Roy bit his lower lip not to laugh.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Pit stuttered, looking at his feet defeatedly. "I-I w-w-wanted to s-show y-you..." He said, hiccuping a few times.

"It's okay. Just relax." Link said softly. Pit was obviously on the verge of tears, having failed the one thing his idol had asked of him. The blonde understood that and didn't want to say anything that made it worse. He wanted to comfort the little angel, tell him everything was all right, protect him. Pit was too cute with a blush on his cheeks and tears glistening in his wide open eyes.

_Why did this happen?_ Pit thought nervously. _I could die, I'm so embarrassed. He probably hates me now! He doesn't want to be friends with me for sure! _Pit's mind had ceased to function properly and repeated itself over and over again, the more he tried to think the less he could. He was so high strung that his mind was overcomplicating his thoughts to the point that it was trapped in itself. How ironic. His whole tiny body trembled with fear and anxiousness. A few tears escaped the corner of his eyes despite his effort to be brave, his wings stuck out like sore thumbs in their stiffened state. He flinched as he felt Link's warm hand on top of his head. The elf merely tried to comfort him by ruffling his hair, but the angel jolted away as if hit by lightning and ran off.

Link looked after him as he ran to the end of the corridor, his wings were so stiff and wide that one hit the corner and he staggered before disappearing out of sight. The elf looked at his friend who had been watching the whole scene without a word. Roy shrugged. Link glanced at the empty corridor again, feeling a strange kind of warmth. He had never been anyone's idol before. It felt flattering to have someone who looked at him with such pure adoration. It was intoxicating.

"Come, I'll show you around." The general said, inching past him without touching him.

The two walked around the upstairs where every smasher's room was, there were so many participants that year that the corridor with their rooms went around the courtyard and made the whole complex seem more like a fortress than a mansion. Each year it had been expanded but after last year's tournament everything had been remodeled and the whole place built almost completely again. The corridor consisted of dark wooden floors and white walls with a few paintings every now and then.

Roy guided his friend to a balcony between the rooms, there was one on each four walls overlooking the grounds, decorated with a few chairs and a table. The scent of roses was thick in the air as the two leaned over the railing to look at the courtyard. It consisted of four zones, beginning from the dining hall double doors there was first a garden heavy with blooming flowers and second a leisurely exercise zone with tennis courts, tracks and a football field. Third zone consisted of the massive training grounds that were nothing but sand with large white circles painted on it and finally the fourth zone was an all-green zen-garden ending to the ballroom porch that had a fountain. Roy explained all these to his friend as they gazed at the marvel in front of them. It was like a palace, there was nothing to be wanted.

The two descended the stairs to the first floor and Roy took his friend through the entrance hall to the lounge. It was a bright, large room with leather chairs and a few tables, chatter in the air and drinks on the tables. Some new smashers introduced themselves to Link, among those Sonic and Meta Knight. They exchanged a few words and continued their tour, walking through the dining hall that had long wooden tables with chairs around them. Behind closed doors they could hear someone doing the dishes. Lunch had just ended and the kitchen staff was cleaning up as well as getting ready for dinner. Roy spoke softly as the two walked around, explaining rules and schedules to his friend.

They bumped into Mario and Luigi and a third mustached fellow in the game room. Wario and Link were introduced to one another. The three men had no time to talk with the swordsmen, they were too busy playing Plumber.

They continued through the library, the indoor gym, the children's room, the music and art rooms, the weapons room and finally arrived at the ballroom. It was a large white hall with wooden floor and pillars surrounding the walls. There were no paintings. Many beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling, as sunlight hit them through the tall windows they glistened like a thousand dangling diamonds, light shattering into prisms and coloring the white walls with all the colors of the rainbow. It looked magical. It was used for teleporting the Smashers to the arenas during the tournament and festivities such as the initiation ceremony that would be held later that night and Samus, Jigglypuff, Nana and Popo were eagerly decorating it with balloons, glitter and colorful strings. They couldn't be bothered by the two swordsmen. The ballroom also had an exit to the courtyard, the door was slightly open and fresh air spilled in.

They exited through the door and walked together across the courtyard, through the garden and arrived at the training grounds. Up close they seemed even bigger. The white circles in the sand were simple enough, once you stepped out of it you had lost. Link got suddenly excited, the spirit of the tournament entered him upon remembering how fun it had been to battle against his friends (and beat the sh*t out of Ganondorf). His attention was caught by two swordsmen with blue hair, one of them he knew well but the other was unknown to him. Both were dressed like royalty, Marth in his usual royal blue tunic, midnight blue trousers and a long prussian blue cape. He really liked the different shades of blue. The swordsman he was with was also sporting a blue tunic, but with white trousers and a red cape, he had wrapped a black bandanna around his head. Link was delighted to see his old friend and whistled sharply to gain his friend's attention.

Marth and Ike dropped their weapons as the elf and the general walked closer to them. The two had been training playfully, merely comparing skills. Ike was attending the tournament for the first time and Marth had offered to help him settle in. The two had a shared history of one night long ago but it was a thing that wasn't often discussed about. At least not with others. Marth was discreet by nature and thoughtful of others, he rarely shared his problems but was always offering to help others with theirs. Link and the noble shared a friendly hug, the prince was genuinely happy to see his friend.

"It's good to see you, Link", Marth said quietly to his shoulder. The elf smiled.

"You too", Link patted his friend on the back. The hug between them might've lasted a bit long for a friendly hug, but neither of them gave it much thought. Marth hadn't changed much since the previous tournament, he might've gotten a bit taller and his reserved friendliness seemed even more reserved. He was always calm and tranquil, if he wasn't reading a book he could just be wondering around, admiring the world for its beauty and complexity.

"This is Ike", the blue-haired swordsman introduced his friend.

"Hello," Ike said as they shook hands. "You're the Hero of Time." He continued.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Link smiled, a little awkward that his new friend knew him but he had no idea who he was. Of course, his green tunic and hat were always a straight giveaway. Everyone knew who he was.

Ike had greeted the general as well, but seemed interminably interested in the blonde. His dark blue, glowing eyes were fixated on him, slightly narrowed. Their gaze was piercing. Link couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under such a captivating gaze. Such aggressive eyes, so arrogantly claiming him as his own. Link held his breath, fearing what he might find within him.

"Is there something you want to ask?" Link finally asked as Ike kept scrutinizing him. What he had wanted to say was _stop staring at me it's freaking me out. _

"I just imagined you to be taller." Ike said bluntly.

Link shrugged. "I am what I am."

"Ike used to be a rebel." Marth hurried to explain. "He's often very straight-forward. He means no harm."

"You don't need to apologize for me", Ike retorted. The noble looked away, he had had some trouble getting used to the other's frank way of putting things but it seemed like the elf hadn't taken offense.

"Did you succeed?" Link asked.

"Of course." The blue-haired swordsman said nonchalantly. Although it had been a difficult task to restore Elincia's reign in Crimea, he had never even considered the chance of failing. Ever since he had been a little child he had been trained to become a skilled swordsman and his drive to protect those close to him made him a fearsome opponent. One who fought for love.

Marth said nothing, he had succumbed into his thoughts. He had had a difficult year at home in Akaneia. Before the previous tournament he had been engaged to a beautiful woman by the name Shiida but his love for her had faded once he had met the two elven. In full truth, Link. After the tournament he had returned home to find his feelings for her gone and despite many attempts had been unable to consummate their marriage. It had caused a schism between them that had lead to bitterness, unhappiness and the eventual annulation of their marriage. Unable to accept the fact that he had fallen so desperately for someone not of noble birth he had tried to shift his love towards Zelda and had become good friends with Link in his attempt. The more time he had spent with the blonde the more he had loved him. Unfortunately Link was stoically loyal to Zelda and would never in his life try to take something from her. He had unintentionally put himself in Link's friend zone where he had found no way out. But he was working on that.

He snapped out of his thoughts as Zelda and Peach trotted to them, holding their dresses higher from the front so that they wouldn't trip in the fabric. They both looked rather raggedy, having sand in their hair and dirt on their faces, they had clearly been training as well. Behind them Marth saw three kids frolicking, they were too far to be recognized who they were.

"Hello!" Zelda greeted everyone as she dusted herself off. "How nice to see familiar faces!"

The two princesses introduced themselves to Ike, the swordsman had a hard time believing they were royalty. He had never met princesses who were willing to fight and get dirty, but then again he didn't know Peach and Zelda. The princess of Mushroom Kingdom was wearing her usual pink dress that made her look very thin and fragile, it was beautifully adorned with lace and bows, accentuating her body. On her messy hair she had her crown crooked a little on one side. She had had to wipe off her lipstick, but looked very cute even with a face full of sand. She had that child-like charm that made others want to protect her. Zelda on the other hand looked always very eminent, she had an air of tranquillity around her and never lost her temper. She had straight light brown hair with a rather exquisite tiara that was encrusted with emeralds. Her hair had been woven in long strands on both sides of her face. She wore a long elegant white dress with a violet top and golden decorative shoulder pads. Despite her serenity she was not to be taken lightly. She was fierce on the battlefield and had actually beaten Link in the previous tournament. It was something she was very proud of but didn't mention often for the sake of her friend.

"Link, I thought you weren't going to attend this year." She said to her oldest friend as she came to hug him. The two had always been very close, ever since having met once in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. It had been a turning point in both of their lives, creating a connection between them that was deeper than blood and family, the connection of the Triforce. Zelda was the one Link could always talk to and he was the one she could always talk to.

"I wasn't going to but I heard a friend of mine might be here as well." Link smiled at her sheepishly, she had been the only one he had told about his mysterious love interest before the tournament.

"Oh, you mean that Winchester fellow?" Zelda asked curiously, looking around. "Is he here?"

"Yes." Link admitted, smiling gently. "I want to find him."

"There's no one attending by that name", Peach ascertained, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "It has to be an alias. Maybe he wants you to find him! How romantic!" She exclaimed, getting a little excited.

Link's high spirits were gone. He couldn't believe he wasn't going to meet Winchester before the day was out. A sigh escaped his lips as the defeat came crashing down on him. His friend had not arrived. He had promised and failed that promise. Link could feel a sharp pain in his chest, the pain of being betrayed.

"How can I find him when I've only exchanged letters with him?" He asked, hanging his head.

"Maybe Winchester is a clue in itself." Marth ascertained. "It can't be randomly chosen. There has to be some connection between Winchester and the person using that name to hide from you."

"Now that you mention it, didn't Ness play baseball for the Winchester Royals?" Peach asked, looking at the three kids running towards them. He had identified one of them to be Ness and one to be Young Link, the last one was unfamiliar to him.

"Ness? Winchester?" Link asked, suddenly finding that glimpse of hope.

"Didn't you bring Winchester Cathedral roses on your mother's grave each year, Marth?" Zelda asked the prince. "Weren't those her favorite?"

The noble smiled warmly at her memory. "Yes. She loved those." He said gently, but having realized that the clue pointed to him he quickly added: "But I'm not Winchester!"

"Are you?" Link scrutinized him, taking a step closer to him. It did seem impossible. The noble was articulate and eloquent, he often spoke in a way that seemed similar to Winchester's letters. _But then again Marth liked Zelda,_ Link had to remind himself and he forgot all about it.

"Your father's second name was Winchester as well, wasn't it, Ike?" The prince asked the taller swordsman, shifting the elf's interest away from him. Link was the type to never give up and he easily jumped into conclusions. Whenever he had an idea he pursued it determinedly, having no rest until he had completed what he had set off to do. It was fine when rescuing princesses but he used the same drive to herd goats which often lead to him exhausting himself trying to get the damned last one to go in the barn.

Link turned to look at the ex-rebel with hopeful eyes. "Are you Winchester?"

Ike shrugged.

"I _can _be." He said nonchalantly, narrowing his eyes. Their gaze was so intense they almost seemed to glow dark blue. So captivating, so confident. He hadn't got a trail of uncertainty within him, he knew he wanted Link and his eyes claimed him with their piercing gaze. Before the elf jumped him out of joy, Roy cleared his throat to get their attention.

"There's a Winchester Inn about a day's journey from here. Many of the attendants must have spent the night there on their way here." He said dryly.

"But... but..." Link muttered as he looked at him like a lost puppy, unable to believe that Ike had only said what he had wanted to hear. Maybe. He couldn't be sure. He wanted it to be true so that he could tell him in person how he felt, how deeply and purely he loved him. Even if it had been on paper his feelings were still the same, he knew they wouldn't change no matter who it turned out to be.

"So anyone could be Winchester." Zelda ascertained, feeling sorry for her friend. She knew how badly he wanted to find him and she swore to help him in his mission. Whatever it took to make Link happy, she would do it.

"Was that what that letter was about?" Roy asked, referring to the piece of paper Link had been holding when the two had first met upstairs in his room.

"Yeah," The elf answered as he looked at his feet. "Why can't he understand that I just want to talk to him?"

"That's strange. Why would he hide from you then?" Marth asked. It didn't seem to make sense.

"I might've told him I loved him." Link said sheepishly. The noble couldn't help smiling. It was so typical of Link to offer his heart so eagerly and he had probably never even considered the fact that someone might feel frightened by such a sudden confession. Not everyone was so in touch with their inner selves that they understood a complex feeling like love without getting used to it first. Link was so endearing.

"Isn't that a bit exaggerating? I mean to say you haven't met him?" Marth asked, unable to understand his friend's infatuation.

"It's the truth." The elf admitted, sighing. The though of Winchester being an alias and hiding in plain sight made him feel a little hesitant. He couldn't understand the challenge of needing to find him. Love was love, it didn't matter who it turned out to be. He already loved him deeply. They were a perfect match, it was a crime against nature to hide. Yet even with all his true feelings poured out on paper, Winchester had chosen to hide. Why?

"Maybe he's just shy", Zelda said encouragingly. Ike snorted, finding the whole secrecy a little laughable.

Upon the mentioning of the word shy Link immediately thought of his new winged friend but before he could say anything, a raggedy looking man leapt out of the bushes. He straightened himself and pushed his short brown hair back, looking around with shifty eyes. He had a bandanna around his head and a very intricate, tight-fitting suit. He didn't bother to introduce himself, it wasn't customary in his line of work to throw names around.

"I can find him." He said hoarsely. In one hand he was holding an old rifle, obviously for protection. It was something he treasured greatly, a vintage Winchester 1897 that had actually seen the horrors of the Ist World War. A beauty, really, for someone who understood guns.

"Um, who might you be?" Peach asked, having not yet met the spy before.

"Winchester?" Roy added.

"I'm Snake", the spy said. "The rifle is Winchester."

"Yet another Winchester." Marth said, sighing. He looked at Ike, whose eyes never left Link. It was obvious he had been smitten at first sight.

"Could you really find out who he is, Snake?" Link asked, hoping that he could meet Winchester face to face before the actual tournament would even begin. It would give him peace of mind and relieve him of his uncertainty, thus enabling him to concentrate on winning instead of suspecting everyone of being his target of affection.

"You don't have to tell me who it is, just tell him to meet me here at midnight." The blonde added, hoping that his friend wouldn't feel accosted by having a spy revealing his identity. He knew he seemed a little desperate, but he wanted closure. Better sooner than later. And with the help of his new spy friend Winchester's identity would be revealed soon enough and the matter could be laid to rest for good before blowing out of proportions.

"Are you sure he'll come?" Zelda asked.

"I can't be." Link shook his head, drawing a circle on the sand with his boot. "But I sure hope so. All I want is to tell him face to face how I feel."

"Let's hope you find him soon." Marth said encouragingly. Roy nodded but didn't look him in the eye. He had seemed a little unnerved when talking about Winchester, Link had noticed it but he hadn't paid it much thought. Whoever his secret friend was he was going to know very soon. Guessing game was over.

"You have to tell us when you know!" Peach exclaimed, grabbing the other princess's arm. "We should go get ready for the ceremony, Zelda. There will be a party after that so get ready to dance!" She shouted over her shoulder as she dragged the other princess behind her towards the dining hall doors.

"I'll have him tonight." Link said victoriously to the three swordsmen. None of them seemed too excited about the upcoming revelation.

As the sun was beginning to set beyond the horizon lights were dimmed in the ballroom and the ceremony began. The boring part of it including the rules was disturbed by the quiet murmurs of whispering smashers. Especially children had a hard time of paying attention. The introductions went smoothly and quickly. The last part, a show by Mario, Luigi and Wario was an embarrassment to everyone and thus will never be mentioned again.

When the show was over music began to play and the lights dimmed out, giving way to different colored spotlights. Samus, Jigglypuff and the Ice Climbers had decorated the room with a few nostalgic disco balls hanging from the chandeliers and serpentine, balloons and glitter. It looked more like a prom gone wrong than a grown-up dance. Captain Falcon took Zelda for a dance, Mario twirled with Peach. Young Link, Ness and Lucas were standing in a circle and twisting without knowing how to actually twist. Even Bowser was having a great time, dancing clumsily by himself. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong ruled the dancefloor with their awesome signature dance moves (check Donkey Kong Country for reference).

Night crept across the mansion and midnight inched closer. Link grew more and more anxious the later it got and the final hour before midnight he was having difficulty standing still. He was filled to the brim with nervous excitement, he would finally meet Winchester in person! He watched the clock on the wall tick away the final minutes like a student waiting for the bell to ring for freedom. Those few last moments seemed to stretch on forever, music dragged on and everybody moved cohesively, he felt like the only one who was left behind from the normal flow of time. At the exact second the clock hit midnight he dropped whatever it had been he had been holding and rushed to the training grounds where he had made a deal with Snake earlier.

Meanwhile Marth and Ike stood outside, chatting quietly. They had danced long enough and had wanted to grab some fresh air. Above them the vast starry sky seemed endless, millions and millions of of those sparkling diamonds shattered in its infinite darkness. A gentle breeze felt refreshing on their faces, it played with a few strands of their hair.

"Do you think about it often?" Ike asked, referring to a memory of a shared night in the past. He wasn't one for relationships, but whenever he got to opportunity to be close to someone he took it and cherished those memories. He didn't see it as a strange part of friendship, only as something that brought friends closer to each other. Strengthened the bond.

"Occasionally", Marth answered nonchalantly, he hadn't thought about it lately. It was obvious from the way he said it.

"I can see you're preoccupied with him these days." The other swordsman said, referring to Link as they saw a green flash go past them. He didn't think twice about it.

The noble said nothing. He watched the green figure turn into a silhouette in the darkness.

"You attended the previous tournament with him, why haven't you said anything to him?" Ike continued talking about the subject even when he could sense his friend was a little hesitant to share. Marth usually needed a little encouragement before he opened up, he was always helpful of others but had a hard time of sharing his own problems.

"I... was a fool." The noble said after a small silence, a sigh escaping his lips. "I told him I liked Zelda in order to stay close to him. Now he won't even look at me twice. I've become thin air to him."

The other swordsman looked at his friend and saw the regret on his face. Marth's solemn serenity had turned into painful remorse. His beautiful features were marred by the sadness and shame he felt but even when he showed such joyless expressions he was still dignified and refined. Ike was about to say something when the noble suddenly grabbed his elbow:

"We can't let that happen!" He shouted. The mournful look on his face had disappeared giving way to the determined prince who wanted to help his friend.

Ike was alarmed, in the darkness of the night he could only see two silhouettes but couldn't make out more than that. The one was closing in on the other that stood on wobbly feet. They could've been anyone. Apparently Marth had better eyes than he did. Unable to understand what was going on he followed the noble towards the the two figures in the darkness, hoping that he would gain some clarity when they'd reach them.

* * *

Chapter one is over, lovelies! Now please review and let us know what you thought!


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